When Hurricane Isaias came up the coast, we temporarily lost power. Normally, it’s not a big deal because… people still go to work, emergency power systems normally come online for big commercial buildings, and life goes on. But… most people are working from home these days. And… most people don’t have backup generators. They also […]
Archives for August 2020
How to test your financial planner’s loyalty
Long time ago, I got into a “heated” discussion about how to choose a financial planner. When the word “fiduciary” came up, and someone asked my opinion about it… I gave them my heretical opinion: The fiduciary standard is nothing more than a clever marketing gimmick and… financial planners who hang their hats on The […]
How not to plan for your future
Someone messaged me last week asking me if I could design a custom whole life policy for them. Conversation went something like this: “What’s the minimum amount I need to get started?” End of conversation. Wrong way to think about saving money (especially through life insurance, but… I totally get where they are coming from. […]
Why being debt free is way overrated
I came across a story that highlights the banshee-like nature of the infamous “debt free scream”. The Internet forum poster complained on a public forum about having to shell out more money to fix his car… which was falling apart at the seams. But… he was in “good shape” financially because he was “sooo clooose” […]
How to hustle without being a hustler
Back before this whole pandemic thing started, I read about a study where researchers estimated that the average American worker only worked about 45% of the time they are at work. The rest of the time they are taking bathroom breaks, diddling around on Facebook, gossiping about the new memos on all the TPS reports, […]